The veterinary healthcare team is the most vital link in dogs and cats getting the protection they need. In August, you could reinforce the critical importance of protecting animals against dangerous diseases.

Many people understand
to some extent that their pets need vaccines, but do they truly understand
which vaccines dogs and cats need (and when) to be protected against dangerous
diseases?

For some reason, too
many pet owners don’t comply with the recommended guidelines. The veterinary
healthcare team is the most vital link in dogs and cats getting the protection
they need. We encourage you to make the most of National Immunization Awareness
Month to reinforce the critical importance of protecting animals against
dangerous diseases.

Since people tend to
understand health issues more when the information is presented in people
terms, it may be helpful to browse through the Patient Education section of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention) website for ideas you can use in your practice.

For instance, you
could…

Bring attention to the importance of
vaccines by placing colorful, creative pictures and messaging on your front
office bulletin boards.

Make a plan to bring up vaccinations
with pet owners during patient visits. Take the time to explain what the
different vaccines are, what the diseases are, the prevalence in your area, any
laws that may be in place mandating vaccines and the “what ifs” if they don’t
agree to vaccinating their pets.

Make sure your entire team is on
board with messages about the vaccines you’re offering, because pet owners need
to be given a clear and concise message at every touch point. Even though most
of your team members have a background on vaccinations, Awareness Month is a
good time to review what each vaccine if for, the vaccine schedule your
hospital follows and recommends, and what to tell clients. Some vaccines may be
only recommended for certain circumstances and you’ll want to make sure all
team members are on board with this. Getting the team on the same page will
ultimately give them confidence in relaying the message to clients and
increasing the number of pets that are protected. For excellent vaccination-guidelines
reference materials, check out the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) canine vaccinations article and the American
Association of Feline Practitioners feline vaccinations chart.

Check your reminder system to ensure
clients are made aware that vaccines are coming due. These days, reminder card
and phone calls may not be as effective as you’d like. Consider using email and
text messages to make sure you’re reaching clients in ways that work.

Make the “next vaccination due”
appointment the same day they’re in the hospital for their annual visit or
other type of visit. Just as we put our follow-up dentist appointments in our
calendars, pet owners can do the same for their pets, with a commitment to come
back in. If they have to reschedule, use that opportunity to get them to commit
to another date and time.

Include vaccination FAQs on your website
and in your August emails/eNewsletters. You could also link to the FAQs in your
social media posts.

Whether pet owners are
unaware or not convinced that prevention makes a huge difference, we hope
you’ll find ways to increase compliance during National Immunization Awareness
Month.